Hull City coach Steve Bruce charged for referee remarks

Spurs' winning goal in the game on Sunday came from the penalty spot after Hull midfielder Ahmed Elmohamady was adjudged to have handled the ball by referee Michael Oliver.

Written by Agence-France Presse

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London:

Hull City manager Steve Bruce was on Thursday charged by the Football Association after criticising the referee following his side's Premier League loss at Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs' winning goal in the game on Sunday came from the penalty spot after Hull midfielder Ahmed Elmohamady was adjudged to have handled the ball by referee Michael Oliver.

The ball struck Elmohamady on the arm after ricocheting off his legs and Bruce branded the decision "a joke", adding: "I have to ask the question, would we have got it? In my opinion, he (Oliver) couldn't wait to give it."

In a statement on its website, the FA said: "Hull City manager Steve Bruce has been charged for misconduct by The FA in relation to post-match media comments he made following his side's game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 27 October 2013."

The FA alleges that Bruce's comments "called into question the integrity of the match referee, and/or implied that the match referee was motivated by bias; and/or brought the game into disrepute".

He has until Monday to respond to the charge.

Speaking after his side lost to Spurs again in the fourth round of the League Cup on Wednesday, Bruce suggested that he intended to contest the charge.

"Mike Riley (head of the Professional Game Match Officials Board) rang me on Monday morning telling me they've made a huge mistake. What am I supposed to say?" he said.

"What is the law and what is it supposed to be? I'll argue my case. It will cost me a few quid (pounds), but I'll do it."

He also claimed that Hull's matches are not being officiated by the country's leading referees.

"We don't get the big referees. Are we not as important as the big clubs?" he said.

"Although I suppose Michael Oliver is supposed to be one of the top referees... But I can't seem to remember Howard Webb coming to Hull very often. We've had a bad decision and a bad couple of days, but we'll see what the FA say."

Spurs progressed to the League Cup quarter-finals at Hull's expense after edging a tense penalty shootout 8-7. The game at White Hart Lane had finished 2-2 after extra time.